Climate control systems, such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are generally installed in vehicles (e.g., trucks) to maintain perishable goods at a desirable temperature, or to maintain the internal temperature for the vehicle occupants. The climate control systems may include mechanically driven compressor(s) and/or electrically driven compressor(s). The mechanically driven compressor(s) are typically powered by the vehicle engine when the vehicle engine is in operation. The electrical compressor(s) are typically powered by an auxiliary power source such as a battery pack. Thus, power can be supplied to the electrical compressor(s) even when the vehicle is off and in a “no idle state.” Because such climate control systems require power to be provided when the engine is off and in a “no idle state,” the auxiliary power source may be easily drained. Continuous use of the power from the auxiliary power source under these conditions may lead to excessive draining of the auxiliary power source, resulting in insufficient power to operate the HVAC system or in some instances even start the vehicle.
As a result, it is desirable to operate climate control systems efficiently to extend the capacity of the auxiliary power source(s) of the vehicle. One way to extend the capacity of the auxiliary power source(s) is by locally controlling the operational settings of the climate control system. The success of such a climate control system, however, is user dependent. For example, a driver of the vehicle may independently decide to operate the vehicle HVAC system inefficiently when the control of the climate control system is locally accessible. Moreover, HVAC systems are typically controlled for one vehicle at a time. Such systems fail to provide fleet operators with overall control of energy use of their fleet of vehicles. As such it would be desirable to provide a system that addresses these shortcomings.